A Fire Will Rise
by SASSafrasEND
Summary: Murders invade Konoha, and it's up to Sasuke and Sakura to solve the mystery before one of them goes up in flames.
1. Extinguished Thoughts

**A Fire Will Rise**

"Some say the world will end in fire..." Robert Frost

**-:-**

_Extinguished Thoughts_

* * *

"Would you rather be stranded on an island with—"

"Am I dead?"

"_Stranded_, I said. If you were dead I'd say dead. No, you're stranded and—"

"I'd rather I was dead."

"Will you _please_ shut up and let me _finish_? Ino or Karin. Who would you pick to—"

"Kill me? Isn't that what you're doing already?"

"—be your companion on the island."

It was too early in the morning for her games, and he so was not in the mood for it. "Sakura," Sasuke growled in warning.

"Aw, that's so sweet. But as flattered as I am, I'm not one of the choices, so try again, Sasuke."

Said Uchiha gave the young woman a glare, but she simply smiled at his attempt at intimidation. "Well?"

Silence on his part.

The sound of Fall's dead leaves crunching underneath their weight, coupled by that of the rustling of birds in trees were the only sounds for a couple of minutes. Sakura Haruno sighed, as she did not mind. She knew her companion very well. He was a very quiet man and often she was the one to start conversations in order for him to speak _at all_. It was at times like these that Sakura got a kick out of playing one of her many 'mind fuck' games, as Sasuke called them, to mess with him.

It was all she could do to keep from going insane. Their third member was in the hospital, and although she very well knew Naruto would make a full recovery, it didn't stop the pink-haired woman's mind from wondering of What ifs.

What if Naruto had been too far from the village, and he died? Alone, with no one around.

What if Sakura couldn't counteract the poison?

What if it was too late?

What if-

_Stop_, she scolded her thoughts. _He's fine, just fine. And safe. I'm no amateur. I was trained by the best! I _am_ the best_. Sakura didn't gloat ever, it just wasn't her style. But just this once, she needed the reminder that Naruto had been in good hands.

It worked. Because now she could focus on other things, like her current question, which was an awful good one for the ages if she ever knew one. Now if only Sasuke would answer it.

Finally, he did. "Neither."

"C'mon, Sasuke. You always do this! It's just the two of us. You and me. Nothing gets out. So what —or rather, _whom_— will it be?"

They walked a couple more steps further down the street when Sakura all but thought he wouldn't answer. Then, "This does not get past the two of us."

It was _not_ a question, she knew, but still decided to nod in agreement for her companion's sake.

There was another pause, although this one was relatively shorter. "…"

The woman's pink brows furrowed in confusion. "Pardon? I didn't catch that."

"...IsaidIno."

"If you could just speak a little louder—"

"I'm not repeating myself again, Sakura."

"Holy—! Are you for real?"

"Sakura…"

"It's just, I can't believe it. But out of the two I guess—"

"_Stop_."

"Wow."

"_Shut_ up."

Fine. However he didn't say anything about _laughing_. And so that's exactly what she did.

* * *

And that was _exactly_ how Sasuke and Sakura stumbled into a murder scene.

Sasuke, with a frown marring his handsome features, gait slightly off balance, followed by Sakura, who was still laughing her head off to the point she was clutching onto Sasuke's arm for life or risk falling head over ass.

As they got closer (and louder, in Sakura's position) a man in his mid-forties looked up, and seemed to breath a sigh of relief. His features, which had held so much worry and distraught in the past half hour, dissipated with the exhale.

He stepped out of the ring of cops questioning him. "Princess," he said.

There was only one person who ever called her that. "Daddy?" Sakura called out, not bothering to wipe away the tears that had slipped through her merriment.

"Sakura, sweetheart." The man paused, looked at his daughter, then at the young man clutched at her side. "Were you on a date?"

"Date?" Sakura trailed her father's line of sight and noticed she was still wrapped around Sasuke's arm like a leech. Quickly righting herself, Sakura hurriedly explained, "Oh, no. Sasuke and I were just coming back from visiting Naruto at the hospital. You remember me telling you about it?"

"Yes, right, of course. The loud one got hit with poison knives while coming back to the village two days ago."

"Kunia, Daddy, they were kunia."

"Right…"

It was her father's tone of voice that Sakura knew something wasn't quite right. For one, he wasn't at the library where he worked. And two, he was looking awfully pale. "What's going on, Dad?"

"Dr. Haruno, a pleasure to see you again."

Even though Sakura was no longer hanging on Sasuke she was close enough to feel him tense up. There was only one person for such a reaction. "Chief Fugaku, hello. How are you, sir?" Sakura politely asked Sasuke's father as he came closer.

"Could be better." Sakura noticed his voice, too, sounded grave. "Sasuke," Fugaku Uchiha nodded in greeting at his youngest heir.

"Father," Sasuke mumbled with a tilt of his head.

"How is your teammate doing? Naruto."

After a few seconds in which neither knew which of the two Fugaku had asked the question to, Sakura took the lead, "fine. Nothing some bed rest and antibiotics won't cure."

"Yes, he's a fighter, that one. I am sure he will pull through."

"Yes," Sakura said, for a lack of anything better to say. She was getting more and more suspicious that things were just not right. All the more, her father seemed to be having a hard time keeping a show of disgust off his face. "You alright there, Dad?"

At once, Kizashi Haruno grabbed his daughter's shoulders to stare at her straight in the eye. "Princess, a horrific crime has been committed here. The police are looking into it."

"What sort of crime?" She had had a feeling it might have been something along those lines.

The taught man shook his head sadly. "A murder."

It was like someone flipped on a switch. She was suddenly in work mode. "Where's the body?"

"Sakura," he gasped, shocked. "You are going nowhere near that!" The very thought of his sweet and innocent daughter laying eyes on a corpse. Mutilated and all. It was _not_ going to happen.

"Dad," Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Don't you 'Dad' me! I will not allow it and that's final, young lady!"

"I work at a hospital, Dad, remember? This sort of thing isn't new to me." She wanted add that she had seen worse but probably wasn't the right thing to say to her already on edge father.

"Yes, but…" The stab wounds. The viciousness of the crime, Kizashi's thoughts churned out.

As if reading his mind, Sakura said, "I'm also a ninja." She smiled. "It sort of comes with the job."

Mr. Haruno knew what 'it' was. He just didn't want to delve any deeper than he needed to.

"Go home, Dad." He looked at her with wide, glassy eyes and Sakura didn't like what she saw. Her dad was a civilian, not at all familiar with death and blood and murdered bodies. His eyes looked haunted, and she was willing to bet he had been the one to find said body.

"On second thought…" Removing her right mitten, she placed her warm hand on her father's temple, and pretended she didn't see him flinch. "Don't worry, Daddy. This will help." Concentrating careful amounts, she weaved enough soothing chakra through the man's system until he was out like a light.

Sakura gently lowered him to the ground. "Can I get a stretcher over here?" A paramedic appeared at her side. "Take him to the hospital. I used chakra as a sedative to calm him so inform me once he awakes."

The paramedic nodded once and did as they were told. Sakura watched with sadden eyes as her father was rolled away.

Once the medic van was out of sight, it was time for her to get to work.

* * *

_I_ _was inspired to write this by watching _CSI_, _Rizzoli & Isles_, _Dexter_, _Castle_ and _Bones _reruns__. I love mystery dramas, so why not write my own?_

_Please leave me a review telling me what you think of my new story, and as always, thanks for reading._

_-Sass EL._


	2. The Burning of a Witch

"I am building a fire... I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match," Mia Hamm

**-:-**

_The Burning of a Witch_

* * *

Sasuke switched his weight from his left foot to his right and back again for what had felt like the umpteenth time that morning.

Sakura was being suited up to check out the body and there was no one else he knew around the small crime scene. Just a bunch of squints scurrying everywhere. Oh, and his father. But there was no way Sasuke was going to talk to _him_.

Overall, he was at a loss of what to do and he didn't like feeling…abandoned? Left behind? Was that right? Was he feeling neglected by Sakura?

Right away, Sasuke wanted to slap himself hard for thinking that.

_Him_, feeling like a third wheel? The very idea that Sasuke Uchiha felt low rate in any situation was laughable. He wasn't some dog looking for attention from anyone, least of all Sakura. He was a proud man, he admitted it, always with his head held high. No one made him feel inferior. _He_ made others feel that way.

Besides, it wasn't like he and Sakura had anything special going on. They had made plans to visit their third in the hospital after what Naruto called his "terrifyingly close call to Death's doorstep."

Sasuke had rolled his eyes at the idiot. Even at twenty-one, Naruto still acted like his twelve year old self. Always sucking up to their female teammate with his "Sakura-chan, my head hurts" and "Sakura-chan, can I eat ramen, _pleeease_?" or "Sakura-chan, make teme leave, will you? His glares towards me are slowing down my healing rate" or Sasuke's least favorite, "Sakura-chan, you're the nicest, bestest, most prettiest nurse _eeeever_!"

Sasuke had to refrain himself from causing more bodily harm to the moron. But it wasn't easy. As they were exiting the building, Sasuke had asked why she put up with Nauto's obvious act. Couldn't she see how annoying their teammate was?

Her response? A shrug of the shoulders and, "It's just Naruto's way. It's cool."

_Cool_? _It's_ cool? Did she mean Naruto, the most handicapped shinobi Sasuke knew was _cool_?

Sasuke hadn't known what else to say so they just walked in silence. Though it wasn't long before Sakura started up with her stupid game (how he despised that game), all the while, the one thought running through his mind was _Did she think Naruto was cooler than _me_?_

He was _not_ jealous. Uchiha's didn't do jealousy, just like they didn't do being left out. It was not written in their DNA, or whatever. Although for some reason he couldn't let go of the insane idea that _Sakura_ and... and _Naruto_... _Together_...!

"Sasuke."

The young man was broken out of his (nightmare) thoughts as a man, about his height, reached his side. "I didn't expect you to be daydreaming at a time like this." That was Fugaku Uchiha's way of making small talk.

Sasuke fought hard not to roll his eyes at his father and instead fisted his hands hard inside the pockets of his pants. "I wasn't daydreaming," he bit out, "just thinking."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow but did not comment on his son's irritable mood. He knew it had to do with either his female teammate or the one in the hospital. Or both. His son wasn't like this before leaving the house this morning.

Deciding that an altercation with his youngest heir was not appropriate for a murder scene, Fugaku turned sharp eyes as Sakura approached them, already fitted to examine the body. "I hope I am not keeping you from any plans you two might have had, Dr. Haruno," he said, hoping to catch anything on why his son was acting off.

From the corner of his eye he could see Sasuke's own narrow slightly but did not say anything. Interesting.

Sakura shook her head, sending her hair which she had tied in a ponytail swinging in a double negative. "It's fine, Chief, don't worry about it. We're happy to help."

Which Fugaku took to mean they _did_ have plans after all.

"Chief, if I may?"

Fugaku nodded, putting his thoughts on hold for the moment. "Ah."

"Shouldn't your medical examiner already be here? Is she running late?"

"That _is_ the medical examiner," Fugaku pointed to the body. "Or rather, _was_. If the nametag recovered on the sidewalk by your father is anything to go by."

Sakura's eyes widened at the news and Sasuke moved to her side in a flash. "Sakura?"

"I'm okay, Sasuke. It's just… _That's_ Miyu Tanaka?"

"You knew her?" The Chief of Konoha's Police Force pulled out a pad and pen.

"Yes. Well, no not really. I knew _of_ her. Dr. Tanaka was here to cover Dr. Riyugamine for two weeks. He was going to take a vacation with his family to Wind Country, if I'm not mistaken. I offered to cover for him while he was away but he insisted he had someone else already. I understood. I could have done his job but it's not like most could do mine."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"Right here, right now."

The man gave her a look.

"I'm not trying to be fresh, Chief, it's the truth. I had never met Dr. Tanaka before this. All I was told was a name and physical description in case I ran into her."

"In case?" Fugaku questioned.

"I am the hospital's chief surgeon and she was going to be the medical examiner temporarily until Riku came back. I'm good at my job, Chief, but sometimes…things don't always work out the way we plan."

Fugaku nodded. He did understand. Surgery wasn't a hundred percent effective. Sometimes the unexpected happened under the scalpel and people died. Sakura was being modest when she said she good at what she did.

In fact, Fugaku knew she was the best of the best. He had had the privilege of watching her work first hand and could honestly say she was a true prodigy in her field. And he didn't praise just anyone. Nevertheless, she was still human and humans made mistakes. Hers would just eventually lead to her victims lying in the morgue. Which was why she tried her damnest to never cross Death's path.

By now the sun had slowly risen higher in the sky and Fugaku Uchiha calculated he had been out there with the corpse of a woman for almost an hour.

There was no more time to waste.

"If you can't perform the autopsy, Dr. Haruno, for sentimental reasons I understand. I can call in another to do it."

"No, it's alright, Chief. I'm here now, so I'll do it."

"Sakura, you don't have to do this." Sasuke's voice held something along the lines of worry and again Fugaku was suspicious of his son's involvement with the young woman. Were they sleeping together? He reminded himself to have a talk with his youngest once this was over.

"The time we waste waiting for another medical personnel to show we are losing more and more evidence that may be crucial to finding her killer. Given my training and knowledge of the human body I am more than qualified to do this." Without another word, the youngest surgeon, only next to Tsunade herself, walked towards the direction of the body to start her carrier as the youngest, still, forensic pathologist.

The body was in a heap at the bottom of a ditch, directly across from the park but hidden from view due to the tall grass. Damage was evident as Sakura got closer. It seemed there were multiple broken bones, fractures on the skull, dismemberment.

Oh, and she had also been set on fire.

_Now I know why Dad said it was gruesome_. Sakura recalled her father denying her the right to see the body. _Well, if _my_ kid insisted on seeing a dead body, it would have to be over _my_ dead body!_

Sakura tilted her head in afterthought: _Does this mean I owe him an apology?_

"Did you find something, Dr. Haruno?" Fugaku's body loomed over the edge of the ditch, trying to see over the overgrown plant life.

"Yes. The body suffered from a great deal of blunt force trauma, focused mainly around the head and arms. I'm betting she was trying to protect her head from her assailant." Sakura mimicked by raising her arms. "There are also very deep cuts on both the ulna and radius, which is consistent of a stabbing. Hold on, can I get some help here, please?"

Two forensic personnel carefully slid down the ditch and made their way to where Sakura was standing over the body. "Grab an arm, but be careful, she's very fragile," she directed. As they began to open up the body from its crumpled lotus form, Sakura said, "It's just as I thought."

"What is it?"

"Stab wounds to the chest. A lot of them." She leaned in.

"How many? Can you make them out?"

There was a pause. After a minute and still nothing, father and son shared a look of worry. Sasuke was all but ready to jump down when Sakura reported, "Thirty-six."

Another pause, this time from above the ditch. "Stab wounds?" Sasuke made sure. "Sakura, are you sure?"

"Yes, sir. We helped Dr. Haruno count them all. There's thirty-six," one of the squints confirmed.

Sasuke was floored. As a ninja, he was used to seeing death in the face and the destruction that came with it every time he went out on missions. But Miyu Tanaka was a civilian, as was written on her hospital staff badge and confirmed by the hospital's employee database. She was made to see the aftermath and then cleanup the mess. Thirty-six individual stab wounds to Sasuke meant this was personal. But who would want to get back at a civilian medical examiner so badly?

Sakura's form emerged from the edge of the ditch, stilling his thoughts. He offered her a hand up and she smiled. "Thanks."

"What can you tell us about the body?" Fugaku's pen was already poised over his notepad.

"Multiple stab wounds and blunt force can only mean that whoever did this really didn't like Dr. Tanaka, maybe even going as far as to say they knew her personally. I just can't imagine what she could have done to deserve such a horrible way to go."

Sasuke nodded. He had had the same thought too.

"Overall, the bones looked to be in pretty bad shape," she said. "Coupled by the fact that she was set on fire, time of death might be hard to pinpoint."

Fugaku cursed. "She was set on _fire_?"

"Yes," Sakura frowned. "Whoever did this was smart about moving the body out here afterwards."

"How can you tell she was moved?" This from Sasuke.

"As we were opening up the body so I could study her chest, I noticed stone fragments that resembled concrete or asphalt underneath her, and then again small bits embedded inside the wounds where she had been stabbed, most likely transferred from the weapon. This area is made up of mostly dirt and grass, and even the small rocks aren't a match. Besides, if the killer _had_ killed her here this whole area would have been burned down. That just further leads me to believe that she was burned elsewhere and then moved here."

"Why this spot?"

She shrugged.

"Is there anything else you can tell us, Dr. Haruno?"

"The actual crime scene can't be too far from here. The body would have been too fragile for long distance travel and the killer clearly didn't want to let his handiwork go unseen, which I guess kind of answers your question, Sasuke. The killer wanted us to find the body but not find it _so_ easily —thus the tall grass and the use of a ditch."

Fugaku nodded in a pensive way, jotting down the last of Sakura's observations. "Any idea on where the actual crime could have taken place?"

At once, Sakura turned her back to Fugaku and Sasuke as green eyes took in her surroundings. Directly in front of her was the steep slope of the ditch, followed by overgrown plant life, a river several meters to the right, and a fairly sized park to her left that had trees blocking most of her view.

Making another 180 degree turn so that this time she gave the crime scene her back, Sakura noted the sidewalk where she and Sasuke had come from. And where apparently her father had discovered Miyu's nametag. Across were small shops and boutiques that lined the street. Alleyways with dumpsters divided the stores at regular intervals.

Without turning around, she said, "This side would have given the killer the cover and privacy he'd have needed. See those alleyways?" she pointed across, not bothering for an answer. "Those would be a perfect hiding spot."

"Why not the other side?"

"It's all grass. Not to mention the nametag was found on the sidewalk."

"About that, if the killer was smart enough to move the remains, why didn't he just take the nametag with him?" Fugaku asked.

"Maybe he couldn't," supplied Sasuke.

"How?"

"When it gets dark outside, Chief, sometimes you don't notice the small things. And this street isn't lit up real well."

"So, you're saying it was nighttime when Dr. Tanaka was murdered." It wasn't a question.

"It makes sense, doesn't it? On this side" —she motioned to the street— "you got alleyways to shield you if you're disposing of a body with fire because the stores are only lined up on one side, making it hard for anyone to see anything. On the other side" —she finally turned to point in the opposite direction— "it would also be hard to see because of the trees that block your view, more so if the killer hid behind or put the victim inside one of those dumpsters."

Fugaku nodded. "I'll have my men immediately search the vicinity. Is there anything else?"

"I'm afraid I'll need the remains brought back to the morgue for a more thorough investigation. There doesn't seem to be much more I can do here."

"Alright, you heard her." Fugaku nodded to his men. They inched to the edge and made their descent. "Thank you for lending your services, Dr. Haruno. I'm not sure I would have gotten the same results had I had another medical personnel examining the body."

Sakura smiled. "My pleasure. I'm glad I could help, Chief."

"Dr. Haruno," a man called as he came up to her dressed in the standard police uniform. She knew what he was going to say before he even said it. "The nurse at the hospital informed me that your father is regaining consciousness."

"Thank you for the report, officer, I'll be by shortly."

The man nodded and vanished in a plume of smoke. Presumably to relay her message to the nurse.

The woman sighed and rubber slightly at her neck. The morning she had had with Sasuke was suddenly starting to feel like a long time ago.

It was true what she had told her father. This wasn't her first murder crime scene. Heck, going off on missions _was_ like murder, in a vague, roundabout sort of way. No one _wanted_ to die, things just happen along the way.

No, this wasn't Sakura's first look at death. Far from it.

So then why did the case make her feel like running to her room, locking the door behind her, and never come out until it was all over?

She sighed again.

"You alright?" Sasuke asked in a low voice so as not to be overheard. His father had left to whip his men into action, leaving him and Sakura alone. Or better yet, left _him_ alone. Sakura looked like she was somewhere else entirely.

"Yeah, fine," she smiled up at him, feeling as he placed a warm hand over her neck, nudging hers away as he did so. "Just kind of dreading the talk with my dad. He hates when I use my chakra on him like that."

"It was for his own good. He looked like he was ready to pass out."

"Oh, goody. You agree with me. So maybe you'd like to accompany me to the hospital?"

"And by 'accompany' you actually mean use me as a buffer between the two of you," he tried sounding disproving, but the smirk and his willing legs already moving forward were a dead give away to his amusement. "Is that right?"

"Am I that transparent? And who told you to stop with the rubbing?"

"Remind me why I put up with your demanding self?"

"Because you're cool like that."

Sakura couldn't see it, but from behind her, Sasuke smiled.

* * *

_From here on out, chapters will be approximately this long._

_I only studied basic forensics for two years in college so if there's something I didn't make clear or something I got wrong, my mistakes are mine and mine alone._

_Be sure to leave me a comment telling me what you think so far or just drop by to leave me a ':)!' and as always, thanks for reading._

_-Sass EL._


	3. Fire Starter

"Fire is never a gentle master," Proverb

**-:-**

_Fire Starter_

* * *

"You know I don't like it when you use your chakra on me, young lady," Kizashi sternly said as hard emerald eyes never left his daughter's face. "_Not at all_."

"It was for your own good, Daddy." Maybe using Sasuke's words would give her Sasuke's confidence, as said man had left the hospital room once Sakura had placed both feet inside. He had promptly closed the door after that.

Sakura would give her teammate this much: he was clever.

"M-m-my own _good_? You practically drugged me! My own _daughter_!"

"Please don't say it like that, Dad," she snorted. "Now you're just overreacting."

"And I have the right to be! After all that's happened this morning. With you drugging me, the police, the questioning, the...the woman in the ditch..."

Sakura chanced a glance at her father. He was calming down some, as was evident by the beeping of the heart monitor slowly evening out, but his eyes took on that haunted look he had had at the crime scene earlier. Sakura knew this was the best time as any and that she get it over with.

"Dad, I need you to tell me what happened. We're you the one to find her?"

"I... Yes," Kizashi nodded solemnly. "Yes, I was."

"How?"

But there was no answer.

"I need to know. The _police_, need to know. With your help, we may be able to get the guy responsible who did this to Dr. Tanaka."

"S-she was a d-do-_doctor_?" His green eyes widened in horror. "Did you know her, princess?"

"Fortunately, no. I only knew she was going to be filling in for someone I _do_ know but—"

"I can't let you do this, Sakura."

"Dad?" Kizashi rarely called her by her actual name. So when he did, it usually meant he was serious. "What are you talking about? Can't let me do what?"

"I can't let you go out there and risk your life! You could be next!"

The increased beeping of her father's heart was the only sound for a couple of seconds before Sakura responded, "Dad, don't worry about me I'll be—"

"Fine, you always say you'll be fine."

"And aren't I usually right?"

Kizashi sighed heavily as he settled back into the pillows. In his fit, he hadn't even noticed he was practically sliding off to the side. "...Yes," he grudgingly answered.

Sakura fought hard not to giggle at her father's antics. "Then? What do you have to fear?"

"Princess, this, this..._monster_ is targeting doctors, or medical personnel. I can't let you get hurt." His green eyes darkened with fierce resolve. "I _won't_. If anything were to happen to you I would—"

"Okay, okay, relax," Sakura soothed as the heart monitor spiked with his anger once more. "And we still don't know what this guys M.O. is. Dr. Tanaka could have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad luck, you know?"

"Awful luck is more like it."

She nodded. "And I'll be surrounded by people all the time. So I won't be alone."

"You're talking about that Sasuke Uchiha fella, aren't you?" Kizashi narrowed his eyes at her, in the way reminiscent most father's do when talking about boys hanging around their daughters.

The peals of laughter that escaped Sakura's mouth were loud enough to drown out the beeping for a handful of seconds. "I thought you liked Sasuke."

"I... He's tolerable. Too serious for you though," he added quickly.

She chuckled. "Okay, now that we've gotten _that_ out of the way, I really need to know what happened. Are you ready to tell me now?"

Kizashi shook his head slowly, but said, "I'll tell you everything you want to know, princess."

* * *

A long hour later, Sakura emerged out of her father's hospital room only to run into— "_Well_, _well_, _well_. Who do we have here? If it isn't Sasuke 'Chickenshit' Uchiha. You through hiding from underneath your rock?"

"I wasn't hiding. I was giving you two privacy." He grinned, leading the way towards the exit. "Did you have to subdue him again?"

"No. He'll be released in a little while. We just talked. It was nice."

"_Talked_?" Sasuke rose a brow. If there was anything Sasuke knew about Sakura's family, it was that they didn't _just_ talk. They yelled, they screamed, they gave you the cold shoulder, they told it like it was and didn't hold back. Even Kizashi, the most docile out of the three Haruno family members, was _not_ a talker. "Like with actual _words_, talked?"

"_Ha, ha_ very funny," Sakura accentuated with a playful punch to his shoulder. "He told me what happened this morning. He said he was walking to go buy a cup of coffee before he was due for work and he came across the nametag. Working at the hospital, he knew I had one just like it and thought maybe I'd know who it'd belong to. When he went to go pick it up, he smelled something awful. So he looked off to the edge and thought it might be a dead animal," Sakura finished with a sigh. "I really wish he hadn't seen that."

"No use fretting about it now," Sasuke commented lightly as they stepped outside. The sun was higher now. Sasuke guessed it was already early afternoon. "Let's get something to eat," and proceeded to drag her to their usual place: Ichiraku's.

"Is this your way of asking a girl out on a date?" Sakura teased. "Being all demanding and pushy?"

"I don't hear you complaining," Sasuke teased back.

"That's because the only thing you hear is my stomach eating itself. You'd think the last time I've eaten was last year!"

"Afterwards, we can go down to the police station so you can tell my father about Kizashi's statement. Maybe they've already found something on the guy who did this."

"Actually, you can go and tell your dad by yourself. I have somewhere else I need to be."

Sasuke turned his dark ebony eyes on his teammate. All traces of humor where gone when he stated, "You're going down to the morgue to play Queen of the Dead."

"Only for a little while. Until I can find out more about the son of a bitch who did this to Miyu. I owe her that much."

"You didn't even _know_ her!" Sasuke said, exasperated that his teammate was taking on more work she didn't need. "And besides, you've already helped out more than enough at the scene. This is not your responsibility."

"I can't help it! You know me, Sasuke, whenever I put my heart into something I like to see it through."

Sasuke frowned but remained silent.

"What would you like me do? Rip my heart out?" she joked.

"I just don't think you need to take on everything all by yourself. You're not the only outstanding medic in the world, you know."

"Awe, you think I'm outstanding?" She smiled.

"Typical you, only listening to the last thing I say." He sighed. "Look, just don't burn yourself out too quickly."

Sakura giggled. "Pun intended?"

"Focus, stupid." They entered the small establishment and were immediately greeted by the owner and his daughter, who quickly took their orders.

Once seated, Sakura said, "You know, this must be the worst date I've ever been on."

"Is that so?"

"_So_. First you manhandle me, then you call me names. What's next? You going to make me pay for my own damn meal too?"

"If you keep this up you pay for mine also," he grinned.

"Oh yeah? Well, Sasuke Uchiha, I just have one question for you then."

Ayame came through the kitchen doors to drop off their respective bowls. With a word of thanks both team members broke their chopsticks and dug in. The noodles were halfway down Sasuke's throat when Sakura continued where she had left off: "Would you rather...?"

Sasuke would have groaned in displeasure if he hadn't been busy coughing up his lung.

* * *

The rest of the meal went without a hitch and it was soon time to part ways. After paying for the ramen (his and hers, much to Sakura's surprise) Sasuke was on his way to the precinct. Not that he was looking forward to making the trip at all.

His entry exam to Konoha's Police Force was in less than two weeks and he felt nowhere near ready, even though Itachi was helping him study. Even though his mother encouraged him daily. Even though his father kept telling him he would do fine.

Sasuke still felt like things would only end badly.

And, sure, he could take the exam again if he failed. But that was the problem. Sasuke _didn't_ want to fail. He wanted to pass on his first attempt, just like his brother had, just like his father had before _him_. If Sasuke failed, would his father view him as worthless? As someone who couldn't be bothered to teach? Would Sasuke be forever known as the second-rate son who could never —_would_ never— surpass Itachi in anything and ultimately be nothing but his brother's shadow?

_Stop it_, the young man scolded himself. _If Father says I'll be fine, then I'll be fine._

"Just fine," he muttered. Which reminded him of Sakura and how she always responded everything with a 'fine'. The thought made him smirk slightly. Maybe he was spending too much time with her.

You like spending time with her. You like _her_.

_Shut up_. God he was really out of it. Now he was having mental battles with himself. _She's my friend, nothing more_. And explaining himself _to_ himself.

But how long until you're dissatisfied with just being friends and you end up wanting more?

_I won't_, he responded stubbornly.

What if _she_ wants more?

That made Sasuke pause. _Literally_ pause across the street from the precinct. There was a flurry of activity going on inside, men dashing back in forth in a frenzied manner as if an imaginary being were sticking them with hot pokers.

_They found something_, he realized.

Whatever they had found, it would keep his thoughts occupied.

Good thing too because he had no idea how to answer his subconscious.

* * *

Sakura was removing her gloves and mask and disposing them in the biohazard waste container when in walked someone she didn't think she'd ever see in a morgue. "Hinata? Hello, what are you doing down here?"

It was Hinata all right. Her hair was in a neat ponytail, bangs brushed away from her face, wearing the typical medical scrubs. Which wasn't all that surprising since Hinata sometimes dedicated her time and chakra at the hospital.

What _was_ surprising, however, was the fact that Hinata simply smiled at her, then went over to the sink to wash her hands, proceeded to put on a mask, cloth cap, and then reached over for a pair of latex gloves.

"Uh, Hinata...?"

"It's alright, Sakura."

Now what was _he_ doing here? "Sasuke, what are you both doing down here? Can't you see I'm conducting an investigation of the body?"

"You mean, you _were_." That's when he nodded to Hinata and she grabbed the clipboard that had been sitting on the counter. "Hinata will be finishing up the examination. You're coming with me."

"Over my dead body!"

"Pun intended?" he teased, using her joke from earlier.

Sakura, though, didn't think it was so funny. "What's going on, Uchiha."

Oh boy, she was not happy. Sakura only ever called him by his last name when he messed up big time. "Let's talk outside."

But Sakura only crossed her arms over her chest. Her chin jutted out in the universal sign that read Make Me.

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Please." he muttered.

Stiffly, almost reluctantly, she went to the door without a word. Once the door closed, she was all over him with, "What is that all about? Why is she doing my job? _How_ is she doing my job?"

"First off, examining corpses is not your actual job."

She blinked. "Okay, yeah, fine. But _how_—"

"And this isn't Hinata's first autopsy."

Green eyes widened in surprise. "It isn—?"

"And second," Sasuke continued as if she hadn't said anything, "You're needed elsewhere." He demonstrated by removing her tie-back cloth cap, sticking it in his pants pocket, and moving up the stairs to exit the morgue without another word.

Sakura blinked twice this time. Then frowned. "Sasuke! What do you mean by that? Hey!" she hurried after him.

_Damn the guy and his long legs_, she cursed. For every step he took if felt like three for her. "Will you slow down? I feel like I'm speed-walking a marathon here."

"Maybe you're just out of shape," he sniffed.

Sakura would have told him off but bit back her retort. She knew what Sasuke was doing. He wanted her to get mad to distract her. She would bitch and whine, and complain some more until finally, they reached their destination without him explaining why and her not knowing what was going on.

Well, not this time.

"And maybe you should tell me where I'm needed oh-so badly that required you to take me away from my corpse."

Sasuke rose a brow. "That sounded creepy, you know that, right?"

_He's doing it again_. "Just tell me already!"

He sighed. "My father needs you. They found something."

_See? Now that wasn't so hard. Geez, it's like pulling teeth with this guy_. "What sort of something?"

"You were right about the alleyway theory. Father and his men came across" —he frowned— "_evidence_ suggesting that's where the actual murder took place."

"Why did you say it like that? Sasuke?" Something wasn't right here. "Sasuke!" She stopped walking at once. "What aren't you telling me?"

He stopped too about a few feet ahead of her, still not turning around.

She inched closer, placing a hand on his bicep and squeezing lightly. "Tell me, please?"

She felt rather than heard him sigh. His shoulders sagged in defeat and his muscles tensed underneath her touch at the same time. "Father needs you because..."

And suddenly she understood. Of course she did it was written so clearly in front of her. Growing up with a protective male figure, the signs were easy to read for her. "There's another body, isn't there." She didn't form it in a way of a question, just like Sasuke did most times. Sakura would have laughed at how much Sasuke was rubbing off on her if her insides hadn't turned to ice. Another body, so soon. "That's why you were reluctant to tell me, right?"

_He wanted to..._protect_ me?_

Now was not the time to drawl on the thought because he was saying, "Apart from used matches, gasoline traces, and the victim's tissue, there was something else left behind. But it wasn't a body. Not an entire one anyway."

If Sakura had felt cold earlier, now she was downright freezing. "What do you mean by that, Sasuke?"

He finally turned fully around but he wouldn't stare at her in the eye. "I mean when forensics were doing their sweep of the alleyways, they found a hand. A human hand in one of the dumpsters."

"What..." she cleared her throat, suddenly finding it very hard to talk. "What does it look like? The hand, is it..."

"Burnt." Eyes as black as night suddenly shifted to a blood red color, as the tomes of the sharingan spun in connection with their master's anger. "The hand was set on fire."

* * *

_Happy birthday to my one and only, the love of my life, the guy who has stuck beside me through the everything thus far...my very own dog, Hamburger._

_What? Did you think I was talking about my husband?_

_And as always, thanks for reading._

_-Sass EL._


End file.
